When garbage is placed in a plastic lining bag, disposed in a metal or plastic, rigid garbage pail or other bag holding container, the bag expands until it comes in contact with the inner surface of its bag holding container. The pressure from the garbage in the bag expands against the inner surface of the container. As the pressure increases, air is mostly expunged from between the lower, inner surface of the bag holding container and the bottom portion of the plastic bag. At this point, a partial vacuum is created.
The pressure of the remaining trapped air is less than that of atmospheric pressure on the top of the plastic bag. Therefore, the vacuum is difficult to overcome when trying to remove the plastic bag from the bag holding container.
Pulling harder from above, to remove the plastic bag results in the garbage or other contents settling towards the bottom of the bag, exacerbating the problem of extraction. The combination of pulling on the bag and the weight of the settled garbage can be substantial enough to cause the bag to rupture either at its upper extremities or at its lowermost region(s), spilling the contents thereof.
What is needed is a device to break the vacuum between the lower, inner surface of the bag holding container and the bottom portion of the plastic bag, minimizing the effort needed to remove a plastic bag from its bag holding container.
The present invention provides such a device and is equipped with a handle by which to extract the device, removing the plastic bag from the container. The handle is attached to a framework which mechanically supports the bottom of the bag and prevents it from breaking, upon removing the bag from the container.
Although prior art devices teach vacuum reducing means, the present invention breaks or substantially reduces the vacuum during bag extraction. A handle attached to the framework of the device allows removal of the plastic bag. The combination of a vacuum reducing means and a handle with framework requires an operator to use only minimal effort when removing a plastic bag from a bag holding container.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,156, issued to RACE, a sling is disclosed, comprising handles, specifically designed to conform to the inside of a bin and disposed to underlay a trash bag in the bin. The sling may be withdrawn, thereby removing the trash bag, by exerting a lifting force on its handles.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,906, issued to KOEHELEK, an air channel system for trash containers is shown. The container has an open top, a closed bottom, and an interior surface portion with a plurality of laterally spaced, vertical ribs. Between the ribs are multiple narrow channels that extend longitudinally between the top and bottom of the trash container. The channels provide a means of escape for air trapped between the container and a liner. Similarly, the channels allow air to flow through when a liner is being removed from the bag, thereby preventing a vacuum from forming.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,732, issued to BOWERS et al., a vacuum release garbage can is illustrated. The garbage container comprises an air conduit, which extends along the vertical length of the container, having side wall openings. This design affects the vacuum in the container when a plastic liner is inserted into the garbage can.